The German government has cancelled its contract with the U.S. telecommunications firm Verizon amidst concerns over National Security Agency spying. Reports based on leaks by Edward Snowden revealed vast NSA spying in Germany, including on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone. Verizon provided services for German government agencies. But in a statement Thursday, Germany’s Interior Ministry said, “The links revealed between foreign intelligence agencies and firms after the NSA affair show that the German government needs a high level of security for its essential networks.”